Sewing

[Spacegirl99]

What have you been sewing lately? Have any plans on the kids (or your) halloween costumes? Prom dresses? Homecoming? Baby clothes? We'd love to her about them and see pics!

[Caya]

Oooh, what fun! I'll be coming up with some things. I have a few past projects I could share, too.

[Spacegirl99]

I made my daughter's princess dress last year for Halloween. I'll try to post pics later! Can't wait to hear about them, Caya!

[MOMOF3]

In my MOPS group we did place mat purses. You buy a cloth place mat. I got one that was really cute on clearance at Kohls for $1.79. Fold it in half and sew up the 2 short sides (right side in) if you want sew the corners so that it has more shape. (I'm not sure how to describe this so if anyone is interested i could try and post pictures.) Then you use grograin ribbon for the straps. Just decide how long you want them and sew them on. Also, Kohls had square place mats on clearance and those make really cute totes! I'm am making a few of these for Christmas gifts and filling them with some freebies. I'm am also going to cut one in half and make a couple of smaller purses for my 3 year old daughter and my niece. They will love them! Walmart also has lots of trims and stuff that could also be used as straps. They can be decorated with buttons, iron ons, ribbon, etc. You can be as creative as you want!

[billig]

Obituaries (http://www.legacy.com/startribune/obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=116882093)



Helen Kelley, she had a monthly column in Quilters Newsletter Magazine, and has written a book or two.

[txcouponmom2boys]

I am way excited, my little sister got me a sewing machine for Christmas (I got it early). She is big into sewing and I said I wanted one a few months back. I really want to use it but I have no idea what to do with it now?

I mean, what can I do with it besides repair pants and stuff. BTW, I have absolutely no sewing knowledge, I haven't read the manual yet. I don't want it to just sit around and gather dust so please give me some neat ideas I can do with it!

Thanks so much!

[rottieluv]

You can do what I did with mine..... put it in the closet lol.

[Sweet_Southern_Mama]

Throw pillows are an easy start. Just cut a pretty material you like into two squares a little bigger than you'd like the pillow to be, sew around the edges leaving 1/2 to an inch space from the edge and leave about 4 inches unsewn. Turn i inside out, stuff it, then sew up that open area.

[Partyof5_123]

I just had to reply b/c I really wanted one, so DH got me it & I stared at it! :whistle67:Finally, I decided to take a class at Joanne's & the instructor showed me how to use it "correctly" - I had been threading it wrong for months, no wonder why I had such a hard time! Take a class & sew yourself some pajama bottoms or a beach wrap. Happy Sewing, but now everyone is going to expect you to be able to repair and tailor everything!

[Qbert]

This reminds me of a scene from Fiddler on the Roof. The villagers are talking about Mottel the tailor's new arrival, and they go see it, and everyone says ooh and ahh (camera doesn't show what it is yet, so the audience thinks it's a baby). Then someone asks: "What is it???" and finally we see that it's a new sewing machine. (It's funnier in the film than in my description.)

[Doreen]

Come to the JoAnn's Forum and sign up for the e-mail and snail mail coupons, browse the flyers for a class, and have a lot of fun with it.

Best of all~ read the JoAnn's forum (http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/joann-fabrics/). I hope you have a store near :)

[chriscree]

Check your local community college they sometimes give classes that only last a few nights on the basics of "things". like sewing,wine tasting, knife skills, I can't remember what they are called.

[Kristen.C]

DH was so generous to surprise me with a really nice sewing machine for Christmas and a project/how to sew book. So for all of you veteran sewers out there, I'm wondering what you would suggest in regards to a sewing area.

Option #1 is in the dining room, we can fit a very large table/desk in there along the back wall. My concern with this is that I don't want my projects to overtake the room and I'm a bit anal about clutter. I don't know that I want a work area in the same room as where we eat. The positive about using this area would be that it's the dining room, which is right next to the kitchen and the living room and would allow me to multi-task with cooking, having the tv on, etc.

Option #2 is in our office area. We can fit a smaller table/desk in there and the area would be closed off from the rest of the world. I already have a computer desk in there and all of my scrapbooking/card making supplies. I don't have a tv or as much space to overtake, but I think it's enough for what I need, plus I have a closet in there where I can have some additional storage.

Are there any suggestions you can make or tips you can give me from your experience with setting up and using your area? Would you get just a table? A desk? How big/little of a workspace do you prefer? Do you like to have storage right near your machine or is that not such a big deal as long as it's in the same room? I haven't bought anything yet so I'm very open to suggestions! Thanks in advance! :wavehi:

[Doreen]

I promise to post some pictures of my sewing room :)

[mandybeyl]

I am not lucky enough to have a sewing room. I have to sew right out in my living room where we watch tv and my kids play. It was the only room in our house with enough space. I sew a lot (small at home business actually). I have this sewing table from Walmart and I LOVE it!


Walmart.com: Sauder Sewing and Craft Table, Cottage Home Collection: Furniture (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1984564)

I think it is available in most stores so no need to pay shipping. This table is perfect for me. I have a pretty large sewing/embroidery machine and this allows me plenty of work space when opened. When I'm not using it I can fold it up to keep my kids out of my stuff and slide it back out of the way, and when we have company, my machine stows completely inside and out of sight (there's a shelf on the inside to put it on). I've had it for about 5 years and it has held up great, no problems with it at all. I would highly recommend it for an easy to use, no clutter, sewing area.

[Kristen.C]

Thanks so much for the link, something like this would work perfectly for me! The closed dimensions are exactly the right size to fit under the window in my office area, and I'd still have room to open everything up when I'm using it without it getting in the way. Excellent. Thanks so much for the suggestion. I'd love to order it now but I'm thinking I should at least look around a little bit first. :giggle2:

It's a great price, too!


I am not lucky enough to have a sewing room. I have to sew right out in my living room where we watch tv and my kids play. It was the only room in our house with enough space. I sew a lot (small at home business actually). I have this sewing table from Walmart and I LOVE it!


Walmart.com: Sauder Sewing and Craft Table, Cottage Home Collection: Furniture (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1984564)

I think it is available in most stores so no need to pay shipping. This table is perfect for me. I have a pretty large sewing/embroidery machine and this allows me plenty of work space when opened. When I'm not using it I can fold it up to keep my kids out of my stuff and slide it back out of the way, and when we have company, my machine stows completely inside and out of sight (there's a shelf on the inside to put it on). I've had it for about 5 years and it has help up great, no problems with it at all. I would highly recommend it for an easy to use, no clutter, sewing area.

[Onward]

If you're like me, the manual won't help a whole lot - better to take a class and have someone show you the basics. If you teach yourself and get frustrated it's too easy to give up.

I occasionally use mine for repairs, but for the most part I do crafts. I took a class at a local quilt shop on making a quilted pocketbook & made those a couple of years ago for Christmas presents. This year I made heating pads filled with cherry pits - sounds horribly uncomfortable, but they're not; they're great for headaches.

I love to look at patterns in JoAnns or quilt shops for things to make - I have a pattern now for a checkbook cover, but haven't had time to try it out. I also love to make Christmas patterns--wall hangings, tree skirts, etc.

Most of all, have fun with it! Once you see a finished project it will be well worth the effort it takes to learn.

[thickbluebug]

I have some fabric I am making napkins out of.

Just trying to make my paper towels/napkins last longer.
I am cutting down on my deals this year and this is something to slow down my stockpile usage.

[spoe]

I have this table also and it is perfect... When you close it up you can use it as a sofa table or set some lamps on there, you would never know.

[Kristen.C]

I actually went ahead and ordered the craft table from Walmart. When I measured, it will fit perfectly regardless of whether it goes in the Dining Room or in my office. I'm shooting for the office, but we'll see how I like it once I get it in there.

Thanks for all of the help!

[billig]

FYI
Remember when planning a table/desk for sewing that you are able to set the machine so the needle is directly infront of your body. (versus having the entire machine sitting directly infront of you)

Those old machines that came in their own little table always have the machine centered and so zillions of women are sewing by sitting in front of the machine, but then actually leaning or bending a little to the left to accomodate sewing under the needle. Not good for backs or comfort, not ergonomical.

[Kristen.C]

I decided to order the Sauder craft table that mandybeyl suggested and I finally got an email yesterday that it was available for pickup. I stayed up well past midnight putting it together and I love it! It's got a HUGE work area which is nice since I really love to spread my stuff out to see everything. It's the perfect size for my office, (although I do need to rearrange a few pieces of furniture to balance the room) and I will definitely post pictures once I get it in there and set up with my sewing stuff! I'm so excited, and so is DH, because right now I've taken over the dining room table!

[Kristen.C]

I finally got everything set up last week and I thought I would share it with you all since I got so much help here! Pictures and explanations are on my blog, the link to the post is here: My Sewing Area « KikiVerde (http://kikiverde.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/my-sewing-area/)

[cheynesnana]

I love it Kristen !!! I want that for my sewing machine.. it would be nice to be able to put it away once in awhile...LOL

[searcher]

That is a great looking setup you have. It's inspiring to see.

[purplefdu]

I'm looking into sewing some pretty serious items such as backpacks, jeans and dog blankets. We've looked into sewing machines before but have no clue what we would need to purchase to hold up to some basic costuming (DH needs a robe for his Star Wars stuff) let alone the rougher stuff I want to make.

I've yet to ask my mom's friend who owned a successful leather repair shop but I figured some of you ladies might have suggestions as to brands and average cost of that caliber of machine.

[redemption_song]

I sew through 6-10 layers of 10oz denim and multiple layers of polypro webbing daily with my Viking Husquvarna Emerald 183. It is a pretty nice machine for the price (between 4-500). My next machine will be a Juki industrial, but those are generally only straight stitch, forward and reverse, nothing fancy. I've seen the Jukis for $1000 to $1200 shipped, including the table.

[purplefdu]

6-10 layers of denim? what the heck are you sewing, lol.

[redemption_song]

6-10 layers of denim? what the heck are you sewing, lol.

I make baby carriers and the area where the waistband joins the body is 8 layers of denim and 1 layer of webbing. I used to sew through heavy camping mat with m machine, but it didn't like that very much :giggle2:

[Kristen.C]

I've been making little tea wallets that hold 4 teabags. They're so easy to make and I think they'll make great Mother's Day gifts or little hostess type gifts. They also don't use much fabric, so I've been able to use a lot of scraps and fabric pieces that I've found in the remnant bin.

[derketchup]

and I want to start sewing again! But what should I know about sewing supplies and sales patterns? Are there annual sales, do certain fabrics go on sale during certain parts of the year, etc.

Thanks in advance!

[lestelle]

Congratulations Der! I've recently resurrected mine.
Check Joann's flyers, they sometimes rotate each pattern company's patterns on sale for $.99 to $1.99 each. That's when I've been restocking my pattern stash.
Check out Club BMV Welcome Page (http://www.clubbmv.com/) to preview the patterns you're interested in, then buy at Joanns.
A good magazine to check out is Threads. They have great tips and reviews of notions and stuff.
Fabric is a little more difficult to find by me--all the discount places have closed as people sewed less. I live in NJ, near NYC, so a semi annual trip in on my calendar for this year. There are a few good online sources like Denver Fabrics, but I like to touch before buying.
Good Luck!

[Merczilla]

Also check your thrift stores. I often find good chunks of fabric there. Patterns, too, although you can't be 100% sure it's all there. Mine usually only charges .10 cents a pattern, so you don't lose much if a bunch is missing. The only store I have for fabric is Joann's. I never/rarely buy anything at Wallyworld. I used to buy some vintage doll clothing patterns on Ebay, but I don't buy there anymore.

Garage sales in the summer (if you're in a northern/snowy clime).

Oh...what machine did you get? I'm a "collector", so all mine are vintage. lol

[Doreen]

Der, Congratulations on your new sewing machine! yah

If you haven't already peeked through my JoAnn Fabrics Forum, I wanted to let you know that you can browse current sale flyers (including current class flyers), sign-up for in-store and online coupons/deals, coupon policy, and clearance finds.

[derketchup]

Also check your thrift stores. I often find good chunks of fabric there. Patterns, too, although you can't be 100% sure it's all there. Mine usually only charges .10 cents a pattern, so you don't lose much if a bunch is missing. The only store I have for fabric is Joann's. I never/rarely buy anything at Wallyworld. I used to buy some vintage doll clothing patterns on Ebay, but I don't buy there anymore.

Garage sales in the summer (if you're in a northern/snowy clime).

Oh...what machine did you get? I'm a "collector", so all mine are vintage. lol

It's a singer... I got it from freecycle. The lady said she had it for 10 years. But most of the body is made from painted cast-iron, except for the upper half which is plastic. So I think it's a mite older than 10 years!

It seems to run just fine, which was my main concern. :biggrin:

[ILv2Shop]

Wishing you alot of fun projects. Hope you'll be blogging about them. :-)

[derketchup]

Also check your thrift stores. I often find good chunks of fabric there. Patterns, too, although you can't be 100% sure it's all there. Mine usually only charges .10 cents a pattern, so you don't lose much if a bunch is missing. The only store I have for fabric is Joann's. I never/rarely buy anything at Wallyworld. I used to buy some vintage doll clothing patterns on Ebay, but I don't buy there anymore.

Garage sales in the summer (if you're in a northern/snowy clime).

Oh...what machine did you get? I'm a "collector", so all mine are vintage. lol

It's a singer 3102 c.

[Kristen.C]

Welcome to the wonderful world of sewing! The possibilities are endless and it will surely become an obsession. As far as sales, I'd just make sure to hold on to the JoAnn fabrics 40% off coupons and pay attention to their sales ads- they have some big sale for national craft week going on either this week or next week, so that would be a good time to look at thread and needles. Also, there should be a lot of books available at your library that you can check out for free. And don't forget all of the sewing/craft blogs too. One of my favorites is sew, mama, sew. They have tons of tutorials and craft projects posted there. Also, don't forget that you can find ways to reuse stuff- the old tablecloths at the thrift store can be used to make napkins, etc. I'm so excited for you!

[Coupon-Crazy]

Oh what fun, Der!

I keep my eyes open for sheets, tablecloths, etc. at yard sales and thrift stores. I got a beautiful flat sheet at a yard sale on Sat. The lady couldn't find the fitted sheet. I just smiled and said that was ok. I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd but cutting it up to make bloomers for my girls.

[derketchup]

Yeah, I have plans to turn an old pair of khakis into an apron. :biggrin:

I got 5 easy-to-sew Simplicity patterns from Joann for $1.99 each. The so simple ones weren't part of the sale, but the easy-to-sew ones were. Lucky me! I also signed up for the next sewing 101 class because it's been oh.... 22 years since I last sewed something more complicated than a felt poodle skirt... :whistle:

[Doreen]

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Since there's such a great deal on Capri Sun right now, I am going to make some totes for this summer.

How to Make a Capri Sun Purse: 9 steps - wikiHow (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Capri-Sun-Purse)

[lovemy2girls]

thanks!! i'm going to try it. i've been buying it since the coupon is out. now i'm going to get more just to have more tote supplies.lol. my girls will be happy i found this thread :)

[Doreen]

capri sun tote on Etsy, a global handmade and vintage marketplace. (http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=handmade&search_query=capri+sun+tote)

Here are some more ideas to make with Capri Sun packages :)

This will be a creative fun summer with all these Capri Sun packages!

[cspigner28]

Thanks!!! This sounds like a great project for my dd and I to work on this summer!!!

[lestelle]

Does anyone here sew their own lingerie?

I've been trying to find a source for fabric and notions but have had no luck. Where do you get yours?

What challenges have you faced?

[latte]

i dont sew my own----it comes from the clearance racks!!! (satin nighties @ 4.50 -20% mr latte discount are way less then the fabric would cost)

[lestelle]

I'm actually not wanting to sew to save money (I know very bizarre concept considering the site I'm on). I want to sew for fit and style.

[CTCMC]

Depending on what type of garment, have you looked at fabrics suitable for dancer/gymnast/skater costumes? Lots of different weights in stretchy stuff.
Also, I'd be looking at bridal fabrics for luxury nightgown type garments.
I've seen lingerie patterns, but not bra/panty stuff. If I were trying to make those, I'd try to adapt a bathing suit pattern.
Good luck.

[lestelle]

Thanks CTCMC! I hadn't thought about those fabrics.

[kval07]

Ha, I think DF would drop dead from pure shock if I wore lingerie. Seriously, lol.

[lestelle]

Make sure you get a big fat insurance policy on him before buying that teddy!:giggle2:

I was trying to be "lady like" by describing bras and knickers as lingerie. My grandmother would be proud